Containers are paid for… which never arrive

Many Quebecers lose thousands of dollars to a so-called container company that collects deposits but never delivers the goods.

Boucher Conteneur offers a professional website as well as a Facebook page, allowing you to purchase containers… which never arrive.

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“I sent a $1,700 deposit, and when I was told I wouldn't receive the container I ordered because of a delivery problem, I felt like a scam,” explains cabinetmaker François Pelletier of Sorel-Tracy.

Actually, Mr. Pelletier never saw the color of the container he ordered early last September. “Nobody wants to lose $1,700,” said a man who had to store equipment after a tornado destroyed his industrial warehouse last August.

Francois Pelletier, owner of Ebenisterie Francois Pelletier, was destroyed by a tornado on August 3 in front of his workshop.

Photo by Pierre-Paul Poulin

A similar scenario exists for Rick Hamalian, who wants to store equipment for his dance studio in Saint-Jerome. “I lost $2,500,” he lamented.

They both interacted with a man using the name Stefan Boucher. The second man gives various false addresses in Greater Montreal to gain the trust of his victims.

Transfers are sent to an intermediary

The two sent “deposits” via Interac transfers from Montreal's North Shore to a bank account belonging to Marie-Eve Laliberte. When contacted by the Journal, she was shocked to learn that the company she thought she worked for had not delivered the containers.

“I thought I was helping the company by helping myself, not cheating,” lamented a person who contacted La Cité Financière, a Facebook page that promises loans at 3% interest rates.

“You pay $600 to open an account and get a loan,” Ms. Laliberte explains. As I could not pay, I was given this job. She assured that she had never met this owner in person.

Marie-Eve Laliberte had no idea the company she worked for wasn't delivering goods

Photo taken from Marie-Eve Laliberte's Facebook page

Ms. Laliberté Contenier Boucher collected transfers sent by customers and then transferred them to email addresses via cryptocurrency buying, selling and exchange platforms such as ShakePay and Coinbase.

She pocketed 10% of the proceeds.

Repetitive catch

Corey Skinner, an Ontario programmer and entrepreneur, fell victim to a similar scam last summer. He wanted to buy a container from Bells Containers to build a garage for his chalet.

“I lost about $6,000,” he lamented.

Photo taken from Boucher Conteneur Facebook page

The man behind Bells Container confirmed to the newspaper that he is the man behind Container Boucher and can make financial loans along with la y financier.

Bells Container also used a bank account in the name of Marie-Eve Laliberte to collect the money sent by Mr Skinner.

There are plenty of fake container companies on social networks and the internet, especially since the pandemic.

As per our information, this may be a scam operated from outside the country.